The Scariest Consequence of Being a Working Mom

Yikes! While it's kind of comforting to know America isn't the only country that offers zero child care options for working moms that don't break the bank, this story out of Afghanistan is still totally frightening. Yet somehow inspiring at the same time. How does that work?

The only woman in the Afghan Air Force, Col. Latifa Nabizada, has an incredibly dangerous job piloting a helicopter through rough terrain and hostile territory. Nabizada also has no child care options. Which means sometimes her 5-year-old daughter Malalai is her co-pilot. And I thought a couple of months trying to work in my home office with my 5-year-old was tough.

The Air Force, like most places in Afghanistan and the United States, has no child care for its employees. So Nabizada has no choice but to put her daughter's life in danger on a regular basis. And she's been doing it for years.

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I really do feel incredibly proud of this woman for going against all odds to become the only female pilot in the Afghan military, after being forced to leave her country by the Taliban, and then later coming back to take her place in the cockpit. She's an incredible example to her fellow countrymen and women, and especially to her little girl.

But the fact that she takes her daughter on these dangerous missions is horrifying, and she says as much. But, like other working moms, she doesn't have a choice. Sounding very mom-like, Nabizada says she just worries from the moment she takes off until the moment she lands. That's a lot of worrying since little Malalai has gone on over 300 flights with her mom.

Let's keep our fingers crossed one more year for mom and daughter, as Malalai will start school when she turns 6 and will have a place to stay while mom is away at work. Although I have a feeling this gal will have the bug and you might see another young woman in the cockpit when she finishes school.